Eugene "Smokey" Rogers
Eugene Rogers (March 23, 1917–November 23, 1993), known professionally as Smokey Rogers, was an American Western swing musician and songwriter active during the 1940s and 50s on the West Coast. Born in McMinnville, Tennessee, Rogers joined Spade Cooley's band in the 1940s (who gave Rogers his stage name). Tex Williams, Rogers and other members of Cooley's band formed a group called The Western Caravan. Both groups featured Rogers on vocals for novelty songs. Rogers co-wrote "Spanish Fandango" with Bob Wills, released in 1947. In 1949, he had a modest hit with "A Little Bird Told Me". Rogers is best known for writing the ballad "Gone", first recorded by Ferlin Husky 1952. When Husky re-recorded the song in 1956, it reached No. 1 on the country chart. It remained there for ten weeks and crossed over to the pop chart. He also wrote "My Chickashay Gal", popularized by Roy Rogers. From 1947–50, Eugene Rogers appeared in at least 22 of Universal Studios' "musical featurettes" with Tex Williams. In 1950, he bought the Bostonia Ballroom in El Cajon, California near San Diego and started a daily live TV show from the facility. In 1958, he was also doing a radio show on 50,000 watt X.E.R.B. in Rosarita Beach, Mexico. He programmed both sides of a Zane Ashton (aka Bill Aken) record of 'The Wind Running Through" with the flip side being the same song in Spanish and called "El Viento." The resulting sales in Mexico gave Ashton his first gold record. Rogers and his first wife, Madelene, had 6 children; Laura Jo, Carl, Harold, Ruth-Ann, and twin sons, Roy and Rex Rogers. Rogers and his second wife lived in Apple Valley, California for several years where he was a local radio personality and performed regularly at the Branding Iron Restaurant. He died in San Diego on November 23, 1993 at age 76. |
Birth and Death Data: Born March 23, 1917 (McMinnville), Died November 23, 1993
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1944 - 1953
Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, songwriter, violin, harmony vocal, composer, lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 37 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | D5AB-1115 | 10-in. | 8/10/1945 | You can't break my heart (it's been broken before) | Roy Rogers | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | songwriter | |
Victor | D6VB-2138 | 10-in. | 9/4/1946 | My Chickashay gal | Country Washburne Orchestra ; Roy Rogers | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
Victor | D7VB-0475 | 10-in. | 2/24/1947 | Do ya or don'tcha | Country Washburne Orchestra ; Roy Rogers ; Country Washburne | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
Victor | D7VB-1894 | 10-in. | 11/12/1947 | Don't come cryin' to me | Dude Martin ; Round-up Gang | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | songwriter | |
Victor | D7VB-2102 | 10-in. | 11/17/1947 | Spanish fandango | Spade Cooley | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
Columbia | H1157 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | Forgive me one more time | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist | |
Columbia | H1158 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | Shame on you | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, harmony vocal | |
Columbia | H1159 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | I guess I've been dreaming again | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Columbia | H1160 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | I've taken all I'm gonna take from you | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Columbia | H1161 | 10-in. | 12/4/1944 | A pair of broken hearts | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Columbia | HCO1488 | 10-in. | 7/24/1945 | You can't break my heart | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar, songwriter | |
Columbia | HCO1638 | 10-in. | 1/3/1946 | Detour | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar, vocalist, harmony vocal | |
Columbia | HCO1639 | 10-in. | 1/3/1946 | Crazy 'cause I love you | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Columbia | HCO1640 | 10-in. | 1/3/1946 | Hide your face | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Columbia | HCO1817 | 10-in. | 5/3/1946 | Three way boogie | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Columbia | HCO1818 | 10-in. | 5/3/1946 | Oklahoma stomp | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Columbia | HCO1819 | 10-in. | 5/3/1946 | Cow bell polka | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Columbia | HCO1820 | 10-in. | 5/3/1946 | Steel guitar rag | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Columbia | HCO1870 | 10-in. | 6/6/1946 | You better do it now | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Columbia | HCO1871 | 10-in. | 6/6/1946 | You never miss the water (till the well runs dry) | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Columbia | HCO1872 | 10-in. | 6/6/1946 | Spadella | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Columbia | HCO1873 | 10-in. | 6/6/1946 | Devil's dream | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Columbia | HCO1874 | 10-in. | 6/6/1946 | Yodeling polka | Spade Cooley and his Orchestra | String band | instrumentalist, guitar | |
Decca | L 3310 | 10-in. | 2/11/1944 | Too late to worry, too blue to cry | Texas Jim Lewis and his Lone Star Cowboys | instrumentalist, violin | ||
Decca | L 3311 | 10-in. | 2/11/1944 | 'Leven miles from Leavenworth | Texas Jim Lewis and his Lone Star Cowboys | instrumentalist, violin |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Rogers, Eugene "Smokey"," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/208732.
Rogers, Eugene "Smokey". (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/208732.
"Rogers, Eugene "Smokey"." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Smokey Rogers
Discogs: Eugene "Smokey" Rogers
IMDb: Eugene "Smokey" Rogers
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Rogers, Smokey, 1917-1993 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2003026527
Wikidata: Smokey Rogers - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q7545981
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/7074814
MusicBrainz: Smokey Rogers - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/94264640-25c8-4fc6-8ce9-4ad22bf19808
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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